YUSOSEN!
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(Oiler by Takeshi Yuki)
IJN ASASHIO MARU:
Tabular Record of Movement
© 2008-2018 Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
Revision 3
8 July 1943:
Aioi. Laid down by Harima Shipbuilding as a 5,141-ton Type 1TM Wartime Standard Merchant Tanker for Nippon Kaiun K. K., Tokyo.
30 September 1943:
Launched and named ASASHIO MARU.
15 November 1943:
Completed.
17 November 1943:
Chartered by the IJN as the 29th (AO) oil transport ship.
18 November 1943:
Departs Tokuyama.
20 November 1943:
Arrives at Yokkaichi.
23 November 1943:
Departs Yokkaichi.
24 November 1943:
Arrives at Yokosuka. Takes on 89 passengers.
26 November 1943:
Departs Yokosuka.
1 December 1943:
ASASHIO MARU departs Moji for Singapore in Part 1 of convoy HI-23 consisting of tankers ICHIU, RYUEI and OMUROSAN MARUs and cargo-passenger ship AKI MARU and cargo liner NOSHIRO MARU escorted by destroyer NAMIKAZE and fleet oiler TAKASAKI.
5 December 1943:
The second echelon of convoy HI-23 departs Moji consisting of oilers TATEKAWA, ITSUKUSHIMA and BOKUEI MARUs escorted by fleet oiler OSE (ex-Dutch GENOTA).
Oiler RYUEI MARU and passenger cargo ships AKI and NOSHIRO MARUs are also in the convoy, but in which part is unclear.
6 December 1943:
Fleet oiler SUNOSAKI from Sasebo joins convoy HI-23 at sea.
17 December 1943:
Arrives at Seletar Naval Base, Singapore.
19 December 1943:
At 1200, ASASHIO MARU departs Singapore for Moji in convoy HI-24 consisting of passenger/cargo ships ASAHI and TERUKUNI MARUs, cargo liner ARABIA MARU and oiler BOKUEI MARU escorted by kaibokan KANJU.
28 December 1943:
Arrives at Takao.
4 January 1944:
ASASHIO MARU is detached for Sasebo. Near Moji, BOKUEI MARU collides with TERUKUNI MARU and sinks at 34-04N, 130-32E. Only one crewman is KIA. Later that day, the rest of the convoy arrives at Moji.
10 January 1944:
At 1600, ASASHIO MARU departs Moji for Singapore in convoy HI-33 consisting of cargo ship AOBASAN MARU and tankers YUHO, TARAKAN and ASANAGI MARU and an unidentified ship escorted by kaibokan ETOROFU and minelayer YAEYAMA.
13 January 1944:
Escort carrier KAIYO joins convoy HI-33.
14 January 1944:
At 1930, arrives at Takao.
16 January 1944:
At 1400, departs Takao. Arrives at Manila.
17 January 1944:
Convoy HI-33 departs Manila escorted by kaibokan ETOROFU, minelayer YAEYAMA, subchaser CH-36 and escort carrier KAIYO, but KAIYO develops a steering problem and is forced to return to Manila later that day.
23 January 1944:
At 1030, the convoy arrives at Singapore.
23 February 1944:
Departs Moji in convoy HI-49 also consisting of KYOKUHO, EIHO MARUs, and one unidentified merchant ship (probably HOKKAI MARU) with unknown escort.
28 February 1944:
At 1300, arrives at Takao. Joined by transport HAKOZAKI MARU (bound for Manila) and kaibokan SADO and SHIMUSHU. HOKKAI MARU (if in convoy) is detached.
29 February 1944:
At 2100, departs Takao.
1 March 1944:
Requisitioned by the IJN and registered in the Yokosuka Naval district as an auxiliary tanker (Otsu) Category under internal order No. 393.
6 March 1944:
At 2315, arrives Cap St Jacques and destroyer SHIOKAZE joins the escort.
7 March 1944:
At 1700, departs Cap St Jacques.
11 March 1944:
At 1810, arrives at Singapore.
16 March 1944:
Departs Singapore for Palau.
27 March 1944:
Arrives at Palau.
30 March 1944: American Operation “Desecrate One” :
Off Babelthuap, Palau. The anchorage is attacked by F6F "Hellcats", SBD "Dauntless", TBF "Avenger" and SB2C "Helldivers" of Task Group 58. 1's USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6), USS BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) and USS COWPENS (CVL-25), TG 58. 2's USS BUNKER HILL (CV-17), USS HORNET (CV-12), USS MONTEREY (CV-26) and USS CABOT (CVL-28) and TG 58. 3's USS YORKTOWN (CV-10), USS LEXINGTON (CV-16), USS PRINCETON (CVL-23) and USS LANGLEY (CVL-27).
At 0830, as ASASHIO MARU is slowly leaving Kobasang Harbor, she is attacked by a USS HORNET SB2C. The Helldiver drops two 1,000-lb bombs. ASASHIO MARU probably sustains a hit or near miss by at least one of the bombs. She stops and goes dead in the water. At about 0900, ASASHIO MARU is attacked by three Avenger torpedo-bombers from USS YORKTOWN. All three drop torpedoes and one gets a hit
portside amidships. ASASHIO MARU sinks at 07-25.35N, 134-25.35E. 18 crewmen are KIA.
10 May 1944:
Removed from the Navy List under internal order No. 949.
Postwar:
ASASHIO MARU is refloated and salvaged by Fujita Salvage K. K., of Osaka, Japan.
Authors' Note:
Thanks goto Gilbert Casse of France for his contribution to revisions.
- Bob Hackett and Peter Cundall.
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